Role of 'others'
It is common knowledge how everyone in the society adds to the development of a child. Today was a holiday, Aarushi went for a playdate, Arunav was at home. I gave Arunav the little painting canvas gifted by S and asked him if he would like to try? (He hates drawing and art!) He said,'OK, I will try.' He sat and worked at the black parts and once finished said,'I am done.' I asked,'Why dont you try a bit more and just finish, it does not matter whether it is very good or not.' He relaxed more and kept working and this was the result. It made me incredibly happy and grateful to S - only because she gifted it! I would never buy such a thing because of his lack of interest. It made me happy, the fact that Arunav tried and did a decent job - it is probably something a talented 3 year old can do, but I dont care - for me it is so satisfying that he ventured into an uncomfortable zone and did a good job.... Thanks to all the people around us who knowingly unknowingly make such a difference in the overall growth of a child.
The curse of abundance
Aarushi turned 5. We had a BBQ party which was quite crazy to organize specially bcoz of rain forecast. It didnt rain but was cold and wet, so we went indoors after quickly BBQing the food. It was so crazily busy that I forgot to put on the birthday gown on Aarushi during cake cutting time. Everyone enjoyed the food, the cake and the entertainer - what more could we want?
After the party, none of us opened the presents - there was no further interest. Next year, that money should go for charity. Honestly, even the kids have no wants that can be fulfilled by the presents.... the curse of abundance is the loss of wonder and excitement.
A few more hours, a few more moments
I so need a few more hours to the day.
Just a few more, and I will be there.
There's no moment to dream, there's no moment to die.
There's just the chance to live, and the moments fly by.
Am I happy, am I sad?
To think, if only a moment I had.
Chess tournament
Arunav had a chess tournament yesterday starting at 9.00 finishing at 5.00. It was hard on the nerves for the little children and adults, but it was amazing to see how much more resilient they are - I know it sounds cliche! But it is amazing when you see it.
Having never been to such level competition and being one of the youngest (it does matter, specially the concentration level and maturity to take longer to make moves), he lost the first match in exactly 5 minutes. He came out as if nothing has happened, tried to talk of other things, went to the toilet and then talked about the match. He said,' I dont know why I kept making silly moves.' After a little bit of talk, he felt better and when asked whether he felt like going in there again for the next round, he gave a surprised look and said,' Of course!'
I was impressed by that spirit in ALL the children. They lost, they went in again - lost again, yet they were enthusiastic to go in again - and then they won! He won two matches, which is not a lot but is very impressive considering he is playing for only 4 months now, first time in any competition and without any proper coaching. We felt so happy when the professional coach came and told us,'He is a natural - he just needs training.'
Counting blessings
The intricacies of the human mind
is more than I can understand;
It is kind, it's cruel at the same time.
I had a lovely evening yesterday, though the day had many surprises not so pleasant. Sometimes the kids can take away your tiredness with daily life. They played the piano, they played around, laughter rang through the room, they ran to hug me and at bed they listened wide eyed to me reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle". No one can inflate your ego as much as a kid.
They always behave that way, it is me, who many a time, forget to be thankful for them.
Judging
is that last thing moms should do to other moms... Come on girls - you have been through it or are going through it, you know how difficult it is. There's no clarity on the path ahead, you have no instructions on what is right or what is wrong, you just have your brains,some past learning told to you and your feelings to guide you. So many times you know you made a mistake, so why do you pass a judgement on other moms? Believe me they are doing their best and please do not judge the mom by the child. I cringe everytime someone says, 'I am sure the parents must be teaching them, else how can a child think and behave that way.' I cringe - a child CAN behave nasty without being taught by any parent to do so - I am still to come across a parent who teaches their child to be nasty. Children are not robots whose programming was done by the parents! Yes, parents do shape children but I think to what extent is often over-estimated by many.
OK, no I am not angry - I just felt pathetic for a parent on whom the above judgements were being passed.... There are so many times Arunav and Aarushi has behaved in a way which has really embarassed me and I feel mortified to think that I am supposed to carry the blame of that - why? Kids always try to push the boundary to see what is really the acceptable limit, why should parents be blamed for everytime they try to do that? I dont even know this mother on whom the judgement was being passed, but I was trying to put myself in her situation and I really felt for her.
Roots
The movie 'schooling the world' affected me a lot. So much so, I could not speak to voice my own opinion, I sure could have talked more 'if I felt less'. It had all the ingredients that appealed to the inner me... the quotes, the Tagore, it was something that shook up everyone in the room... the lady from Ecuador, the Irish girl, the Venezuelan guy - yes, it appealed to everyone who belongs to the 'common "educated" culture' and yet at heart retains the native culture, the beauty, the human-ness that makes us humans first!
One more hike
I loved the short but beautiful hike today. The day was cool and as we walked up the mountains, slowly casting off our wind cheaters, the sun emerged and shone on us with a welcome smile. We have even done a 7 hour hike (lost trail) with A&A, so today's 3 hour one was short but hard. When we came back home around 3.30pm, we were all happy to relax, rest and drink clear soup!
On the relax and rest session, I asked Aarushi,' Do you love mama most?' She took a quick look back at papa who was busy with something else, thought for a while and then whispered to my ears, 'yes.'
Arunav's farewell to S
When the kids go to school, and I sit near the window, a book, a cup of tea - I say a small thank you for just being. To whom is my thank you, I dont know.
The months they passed by, the hairs they have greyed,
I dont look old, I still look happy and gay.
She asked me, why dont you dye your hair;
I realized I could smile and think,'I really dont care.'
Arunav's very good friend left Hong Kong. We went to bid them goodbye at night, we had dinner and the boys played till midnight even though they had a flight at 11.00 next morning. Next morning, Arunav woke up at 6.30 and asked me,'Mamma am I late to say bye to S? Can we go to the airport?' I woke up with groggy eyes and wondered what to say... we would have to leave at 7.30 if we have to see them and that also for probably 20 minutes.... it's quite crazy, but then it IS about being crazy and in my heart I still dont believe in being sensible about these.
So 7.30 in the morning we went and it being HK Marathon weekend, it took us ages before we reached and before we came back. At return, Arunav just said,'Mamma, it took long but it was worth it.' That's the crazy son of the crazy mama 'If you dont love too much you dont love enough'.
And this post is to A, without whose insistence I would not have come back.
Border nor Breed nor birth?
Arunav came back today with a sulky face. When asked he said, "I was teased - they said I have a black bottom. The teacher scolded them and said he will detain them."
All that's very fine - but will that take away the hurt it has caused him? The damage isnt it done? It reminded me of the popular legal tool used - of telling something about the accused which is damaging and not allowed by legal rules. The opposition lawyer says "objection" - the judge says "sustained". But the words have been said, they have entered the minds of the jury, the minds of people .... the damage, the task is done.
The interview
Aarushi's interview yesterday went on for 1hr 40 mins - it was in a group, so of course each child was not interviewed for that long but even then it is a long time for the children to be inside AND for the parents outside! The stress on the parents who gulped down coffee and tea in litres was too obvious.
Moms - good or bad!
I have heard as soon as you become parents you get not only your child but also a small bag of guilt which you always carry around with you - but I wonder how many times I need to peep into it!
We took Arunav for eye check 3 years back.... when the doc said,'oh he has no issues.' Last month, we were shocked when he could not read a really big billboard and that's when we realized his eye check is overdue. Today the doc said he has -3.25 power in each eye which made that little bag of guilt I was carrying suddenly inflate itself into a hot air balloon. The doc said, it has grown over the years you just detected it late (which of course did not really prick that balloon)....
BUT Arunav is super excited - yayy, can I have my glasses today! The doc gave me a very amused look - crestfallen me and elated Arunav.
The new world
and do we really realize when and how we slowly creep into it?
I was doing my routine. Reading them books at bedtime - I was explaining what a thimble is....and Aarushi asked,
'But mamma - what IS a needle and what is stitching?'
For one shocking moment I realized, she has never till date seen a needle nor has she seen anyone stitching. We hardly get any tears; they outgrow their dresses before they tear....
It made me feel uncomfortable of the world around me - suddenly it felt so unreal. But that unreality is real now....
The cry
I write every year at this time. This time of the year always affects me so deeply. The school interview time. It deeply affects me because I watch the little children and their parents. I cannot decide for whom my heart feels more. There is something wrong in the system that every year I cannot but feel 'this is not right'. Yet I dont know any other way.
I was sitting in C - one of the famous international schools in HK. Aarushi had gone in for her interview. Unlike our first time there with Arunav, I was relaxed and knew it was not the end of the world. I also knew my relaxation had a threshold (it was not like I was watching a funny movie!). And so was Aarushi's - she knew it was not a 'playdate'!
As I sat with the sun streaming down my back, sipping a warm cup of tea - there came this heart-rending cry of a child echoing in that huge high-ceiling hall "I AM SOOORRRRY PAPA". The cup in my hand trembled at the sound - it really pierced through me. And it came on and on - again and again 'I am sorry papa" as the child wailed away.
The little 3 year old was standing outside the interview hall - his pants wet, mortified look on his face and still crying the same words. It was all I could do to control my tears. I saw the same look in the face of the 3 parents sitting across me....
And even now as I sit and write this I cannot forget that howl. And we think we are very convincing when we tell them "dont worry you will just go in and play"!
Back to Mama's world with the Chinese mom
I return today. The other world rests.
So there is this article which created so much furor.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html
When I first read it, yes I was shocked and thought this must be a joke.
But then I saw it making the rounds everywhere, saw the outraged comments, some favourable comments - I realized it is not such a bad thing after all. Even if it was done by media for publicity of upcoming book, etc. It set people thinking; people who were sitting cushily on their chairs and parenting just like they would drink a cup of tea - it made them sit up, think, debate and made parenting an active job, the process of which also needs to be reviewed.
For me, it set me thinking after my initial outrage. Yes, actually children dont need freedom in many aspects of their life and if they are given that freedom - they feel very uncomfortable, they dont know where the boundaries are.
But the fun aspect should never be taken away. In fact, no playdates shocked me and then I realized in lot of these playdates the kids enjoy for a while before they end up being miserable due inevitable fights. However, what I dont know is if I keep them away from playdates will they develop their EQ of how to interact with others well enough?
Choosing the musical instruments for them - why not? I remember a very informed lady who has been running one of the most famous kindergartens had once told me.
Children independence is sometimes overrated. I have parents who come and tell me they ask the 4/5 year old children to choose which school they want to go to. That is being stupid, children cannot make such choices! But do you need to choose their toy for them - no that they should choose.
It made lot of sense to me - so yeah, after I sat back and thought - I still dont agree with many of the stuff in the article but I certainly have more overall respect for it.
Encore
I told E, this is the worst exam I could ever have given and whatever I get in this exam is absolutely the lowest I can ever get - I havent touched my books for 3 months, I sat blurred of thoughts, blurred of vision, blurred of natural hearing and yet I sat for the exam - yeah I can't get worse than this...
So E, she laughed today when I still topped the class.
For me, I thought if that is still the best of the class - it means either my competitors are not serious enough or the course is 3 months' behind what it should be!
But it gives me that much needed boost, much needed pat - to get up and go again... let me think I am good and be happy about it....let me believe those words 'I am there'. A good end to the year.
Rocks and Stones
A friend expecting a fourth child, Arunav seriously sick with chest congestion, Aarushi saying her lines perfectly in her Nativity play before bursting into tears because her angel dress was itchy, scoring 3 bingos in a scrabble game, feeling the passion for excellence while watching Social Network..............
the cold wind hitting my bare face - shaking me, begging me to look at it, standing right in front of me...
life flowing by with vitality, with bare beauty.
Friends
Arunav and his close friend got onto the bus and sat down together. A 3rd friend came and his friend left him and went and sat with the other friend.
Even a month back I had seen him get upset about that. Yesterday, he ignored it - no reaction at all. I sat beside him, looked at him and asked,'Are you sad inside because your friend left you and went?'
His eyes brimmed with tears and he buried his head in my lap. It was all I could do to swallow my own as he did that.....
I managed to make him smile soon with other stuff and he is a kid, he forgets - soon the other kid will also come and play again - but those moments - is there any way we can stop those hurts? Even today, if a friend who has managed to touch my heart, leaves me - it hurts.... there is no solution.... I should not even try to prepare him. It is part of life which he has to go through.... I guess??
The Streets
I gave Aarushi a bowl of warm just-popped popcorns. She liked it so much that she started eating with both hands and stuffing them in her mouth. I told her, 'Aarushi, eat little at a time - there is no hurry and it is your bowl.'
She thought for a while, slowed down and added,'But in school and parties I have to eat like this.'
:)
Diwali
We had a Diwali Assembly in FIS last week. The kids sang, they danced and they saw a movie... - the whole school(primary) watched. We struggled to make things happen, we smoothed over differences of opinion among parents, we struggled to get the kids practise the songs and mantras, we had to digest criticism.....yes, in a nutshell we sweated a lot.
Last night when this mother said,'I am so thankful to you guys - now K is so proud of his identity as an Indian - he sang Gayatri Mantra to my parents over phone and they cried as they heard him - they could not believe it - thanks so much!'
It makes it worth all that sweat and tears, it makes it worth the effort because of the kids.... Yes the reflections of those small little lamps in everyone's eyes makes it worth it.
Craft
by Arunav this evening.... hedgehog.
The Seaside
The waves formed
The waves broke....
The festive season
and the happily dressed bro and sis.
They love the traditional dresses with all the accessories - except when they are 'pricky'.
Kids and Parental pressure
Even when I juggle to keep the balance between them and myself ...
Today when I went to school for a meeting and some parents said how they were amazed at Arunav's maths skills and they went on and on for a while...in spite of myself, I couldnt but feel touched.
I always try to think, they will grow and who knows who is going to become what - who is good in maths, who is good in art now at the age of 6 - does that ensure my little kids will be happy in life?
I want him to be a good human being
I want him to be happy
I want him to be ready to bear the storms of life....
I want him to be someone who can stay positive in spite of setbacks, failures and mistakes in life
I want him to never lose the zeal for life...no matter what life deals out to him
yes, that's all that I want for him..... (ha ha, such a long list of wants and then I say "that's all that I want for him!!)
So I try not to get myself too bothered about whether he does good in this or that. Yet, I could not but feel glad today...ha, I was disappointed at my reaction!
I have to tell myself 10 times over again - no dont be glad, if you feel glad about that, unconsciously you will want him to be good at this and that....so dont get into that trap....dont get into that trap of parental pressure of performance!
To swim
When the swim support was taken away for the first time, Arunav/Aarushi struggled - they could stay afloat, they could swim already - but they did not know that, they still wanted to cling on to the support for dear life....when suddenly they realized - ah no, I dont need that anymore....I really can swim, I am not going to drown - this water all around me is not going to suffocate me, I am not going to go under. It takes them a while to know that, till that time they are petrified, they will not survive. Then they swim.
School again
It was my first visit to the school after the summer holidays. If not anything else, the heat was killing me as I stood outside the gates waiting for the kids to come out. It was sunny, hot and humid. I looked up to the windows above the gate and wondered to myself why I was doing that, what was I looking for, what was I waiting for....all the time!! The kids came out.
The heat was sweltering.....the narrow road was full of complaining kids:
"I am tired, pick me up mama."
"I cant walk, it is so hot."
"When will the taxi come, why did you not buy a car?" :)
"Mama I want water."
The rain was much welcome when it finally came down in really big drops with great force.
At the dentists
It is not funny - the number of times I have been to the dentist for Arunav.. I have never been for myself ever and this is my son!
I sit during these trials and try to focus on anything but that dreaded chair! Poor boy.
So I sat and watched the harbour with the orange clouds, the tall office tower - the windows of which reflected the setting sun right into the dentists' chamber. The ferries scurry from one side to the other. I can see the one leaving for Discovery Bay - long time .....and I dont want to see ferries anymore. So I turn and look at the promenade in front of the ferry. I can see myself sitting there on a night with the lights blinking on the shore, the breeze blowing, the cool of the late night of a very hot day and two women struggling with their pain, two souls trying to swim to the shore, two souls searching for the beauty that was..... was it an attempt to build back a crumbled bridge or just looking at the shambles of one that can never be built again.
I turn away. I go and hold the hand of Arunav so the teeth doesn't hurt.
When do I eat?
Someone yesterday asked me, you blog so much - you are in FB - you are in chat - when do you eat?
I gave some lame answers like oh it hardly takes me a few minutes to write (which is true), I am really not so much in FB and chat is very very rare....but I guess the essence of that question was more like 'why do you write so much'???
Today morning when that question suddenly came to my head, my head answered because when I write I breathe. Now, I like that answer, it goes really close to what I feel....but how many people can understand that. They all have their noses, not their pens to breathe with...so I let it be. I cant help people's thinking...but I can still write :) Sometimes I write good, sometimes I write crap, sometimes I talk sense, sometimes I dont....but I love to write and I really dont need to be defensive about that, do I?
One from my niece
It was a hot summer's day. The air-conditioning was blowing the room cool. There was a little sparrow skipping around outside the window. My niece (2.5 yrs old) watched it while trying to doze off for her afternoon nap.
"Where does the sparrow sleep?"
"In the nest, it's house is in the nest up in the tree."
"Is there air-condition in the nest?"
By popular demand
OK, I have got an email, 3 phone calls and a face to face conversation asking me to post some thing about A and A.....oh yeah, I know people are sick of my banters....you have to bear with it for a while guys/girls....
As of now, this is something I can think of:
A and A had their TV time on Friday(not this Friday, another one). It was more than the usual hours and once bedtime came, we asked them to go to bed. Arunav complied. Aarushi still hung around us. Shyam had come back and it was our dinner time. We switched on "our TV". The Aarushi who was hanging around us suddenly jumps into the sofa, face dug on and starts crying.
'What happened Aarushi?"
Crying continues....
"Aarushi, we cannot understand what's wrong, if you just cry."
"I am very angry and I am very very jealous"
"Why are you angry and jealous Aarushi?"
"You get to watch TV and I have to go to bed."
"Aarushi, you watched TV for the last 2 hours - now it is mama/papa's turn."
"But you can't copy us, you say copying is not good!"
I wish I had her quick twist of logic to play around!
Ode to my friend
"You know, mamma spent 6 hours shopping yesterday."
"No, I cannot believe that - your mama can spend 6 hours in a bookshop, but not shopping."
And that is the sort of statement that differentiate a childhood best friend from any other friend. It brings silly tears to this silly me...... specially the me-of-now who almost needs to hold the hand of one such for a long time! Even now as I write this I wish she came with me to HK :)!
There is always magic when you meet such friends - time has no meaning..... a 30 minutes conversation is so complete!
The smell of books
is what hits you when you enter this street. The musty, dusty, mite-y, nose-tingling sensation is one feeling that I come back for in this place which is called College Street.
There is probably no books you cannot find in this weird haunt. You may have to dig deep through 1000s of really dusty books before you get there, but you will definitely find it. There are really big nice books stores in the city now, but I cannot get over the addiction of this haunt. When I am done, I have smudges all over my face and hands like a street urchin, but I also have the happy feeling and the smile that the little urchin probably carries :)
At times, I dont even buy the books. I love to be there (ok, I am weird!)..... I love to see the names, touch the books(explains the smudges!), flip through them and just catch a few lines here and there....
"....for the best is bought at the cost of great pain....or so says the legend"
"....que tout craque, amour et beaute..."
".....peeko kiba kunje kunje kuhu kuhu kuhu gay......"
and the cramped bookstore vanishes around you, you are in the world that the black printed words build up...... sometimes with Tennyson, Keats, Kafka, sometimes Baudelaire, sometimes Tagore...... you are free. No boundaries contain you.
Arunav turns 6
He had more fun than he had in any of his birthdays! He distinctly flourishes in India.... he had a cake cutting with neighbours who have become friends; he went for an Afghani lunch with mamu(uncle - mother's brother) - loved tandoori chicken, khandaani naan, etc etc, his harmonica gift and the fast car....une voiture rouge qui est tres vite(how can someone stem the flow of memories!)
He is with ma, playing with mithi(mamu's daughter) and I have really not seen him so happy!
Counting my blessings!
Away from 'power'
The heat was fading as the night advanced; the breeze from the surrounding trees picked up; the lantern(the bengali name of this lantern is pronounced 'harry-cane') glowed in the darkness which was as dark as darkness can get. At the corner of the room there was a lone firefly (jonaki) trying to get out. In spite of the heat, I loved that. Being as far away from ..... what shall I call it.... is it being far away from 'civilization'? No surely not, they are poor, they struggle for the daily bread but they ARE civilized - even when they push their way into the overcrowded bus, they are civilized. So what should I call this life away from the 'comforts' of urban life as we know it - being away from internet, electricity and even regular water supply inside your home.... Anyway, I digress....
I enjoyed it - life so basic. You light up a fire to cook food, walk to the nearest fresh water pond for water... when night comes and there's no electricity, no television, no internet, you watch the stars, smaller but brighter than many halogen lamps.... the moonlight on the pond water shimmering - so unreal and yet what is more real? You listen to the sounds of nature around - song to the ears; you sing your song.
When I see life like this, I forget all my insecurities, I realize again I dont need much to live. The 'comforts' - they actually make me weaker, make me more insecure; I think how can I live without them - I struggle to keep them; but I dont really need them to live real life. Life is simple.
Escher, Inception and Perception
The other day when we watched inception, I pointed out to Shyam, the concept of never-ending staircases have been taken from the Penrose stairs and that reminded me of Escher's drawing of "Ascending and descending".... today morning I wanted to revisit his drawings - I used to be quite a fan of his in my school days...the concept of optical illusion so well and thoroughly explored.
When I was in school, I had to spend hours in College Street digging up books of Escher - thankfully there were plenty - but I had to take time to go and find the books. Now: I think about it when having breakfast, switch on the computer with my cup of chocolat (yeah, I have switched to this version from 'chocolate'), type it in google image and voila! I have the whole wealth in front of me - 5 minutes! I love the modern times :)
"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." A. Huxley.
Disney
We spent the last 2 days in Disney resort. The kids were super happy - the highlight however was "we did not have to sleep early." I never thought that was such a point of unhappiness for them!
Toy Story 3 has motivated them and Buzz Lightyear ride got more attention than anyone else.
Back home
It is peaceful. There's no one in the house. Shyam had to go to office. The kids went to play down and I am at home with the yellow lights on, there is not a noise but that of my typing. Outside sunset has happened, the evening sky is dark blue, the lights of the building are slowly switching on and it is soooo quiet. Most people probably are on summer vacation still. But I love this solitude and quiet. I dont want to hear even music, just me and this quietness - yes, home is beautiful too :)
Yes, this seems a new HK to me - all my illusions may vanish tomorrow, but who cares. Today it is there, today it is real. I can feel the night descending on the city - the sound of that is audible to me today, it is not covered up in the noise of phonecalls, talking to friends, arranging playdates, TVs, going to dinners.....today I can watch the sky turning from blue to deeper blue and then darker till it goes black. The lights in my room become brighter, the birds slowly return to the bunch of trees down there....
Lovely.
End of Germany
17 days which started so slow and which flew by so fast. I am sitting in Berlin on a super big iMac and wondering what lies ahead.....I am not sure whether the thought of HongKong and home is welcoming to me or do I want a change again. I am so happy with this vacation....it seemed to crawl and then changed gear :) I loved the Beethoven Haus in Bonn. The music and the ambience(I cant seem to pronounce it in English anymore!) was so fitting. And that sunset on the Rhine in Koblenz, the few moments in Schwangau looking at the instrument that Richard Wagner held years back, the beautiful cute university town of Heidelberg and the heat of Bingen am Rhein...completely sunburnt in the whole vacation(38deg!!), the underground tunnels of that Burg....yes, I want to remember those moments.
I have to go back now.
Sunset
Yess, the sun has set for today! We will go tonight to Germany....I want to go anywhere as long as I can get away from HK. No matter how beautiful the blue skies of HK are for the last 3 days, how lovely the white clouds - I have to get away, I have to forget all its beauty, its rainshowers. I hope when I come back HK looks different to me - after all it is in my eyes, isn't it? I hope the air is clear and I can breathe, I can live again.
Cups of tea, Packing and Friends
all three of them have no apparent linkage - except I drank 20 cups of tea today while packing, taking printouts of google map of places in Germany we are visiting and watching Friends in between. Little wonder I cannot sleep even though it's past midnight.
Sometimes the humour of Friends bored me and yet I couldn't stop because it kept other thoughts at bay. Shyam got me 2 roses(whoa!) - I am sure he was hoping for less of Friends floating in our living room - didnt happen :)
It is weird, sometimes I feel the excitement of the trip coming ahead and then I just blank out into that 'no-feeling-zone' where I just want to sit in my living room sofa and not do anything. Hmm, which vacation am I looking forward to?
Sleep
In the last 24 hours I have slept 7 times for a total of 15 hours.....it is a different experience to be able to sleep so much and the feeling when you wake up after a full (umm more than full) sleep. Had quite forgotten that feeling. Everything comes at a price.
Getting ready for vacation
In July we are off to Germany and then India in August. Packing, thinking of packing, packing and thinking again.....
Arunav is very thrilled with the sleeping bags for the camping trip we have planned.
Lychee Farm in Tai Tong
That's where the kids went whole day today to pick and eat Lychees. They went in a rented big bus. It was hot but they had more than enough fun.
It is common knowledge how everyone in the society adds to the development of a child. Today was a holiday, Aarushi went for a playdate, Arunav was at home. I gave Arunav the little painting canvas gifted by S and asked him if he would like to try? (He hates drawing and art!) He said,'OK, I will try.' He sat and worked at the black parts and once finished said,'I am done.' I asked,'Why dont you try a bit more and just finish, it does not matter whether it is very good or not.' He relaxed more and kept working and this was the result. It made me incredibly happy and grateful to S - only because she gifted it! I would never buy such a thing because of his lack of interest. It made me happy, the fact that Arunav tried and did a decent job - it is probably something a talented 3 year old can do, but I dont care - for me it is so satisfying that he ventured into an uncomfortable zone and did a good job.... Thanks to all the people around us who knowingly unknowingly make such a difference in the overall growth of a child.
